Michigan

Bobby Seay looks to return to form with Tigers

AP PhotoDetroit's Bobby Seay had a 7.59 ERA in the final two months of the 2008 season.

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Bobby Seay said what happened last year to him and his Detroit Tigers teammates remains hard to fathom.

"I think we kind of let up, honestly," Seay said Thursday. "We were kind of mailing it in. We're embarrassed about last year. I know I was."

Detroit finished in last place, and Seay went from being the most effective reliever other than Todd Jones to totally unreliable. Seay had a 2.57 ERA through July, but had a 7.59 ERA during the final two months.

Tigers manager Jim Leyland said an inability to throw his looping slider on the outside corner to left-handed hitters was the main problem. Left-handers batted .303 against the southpaw after hitting .246 against him in earlier years.

"I started pitching backwards because I thought guys were sitting on my slider," Seay said. "But if I can throw it down and away with break, I am going to have a successful season."

Seay was 3-0 with a 2.33 ERA in 2007, but 1-2 with a 4.47 ERA last year.

"I'm working on a changeup and think it will be a good pitch for me," Seay said. "I don't want to live on my slider. And the big thing is conditioning myself to pitch in 60 to 65 games and not start dragging."

Guillen: Keep me in left field
Carlos Guillen said he doesn't know who will play center field in a Venezuelan outfield that also includes Detroit teammate Magglio Ordonez and Bobby Abreu. But he knows one thing for sure.

"I better play left field, because if I do not play left field I am coming back here," said Guillen, adding that he decided to play for his country in the upcoming World Baseball Classic was because of changes made in the "front office" of the program.

Left field is his new position with the Tigers after playing shortstop, third base and first base for them the past two years.

Guillen, Ordonez, first baseman Miguel Cabrera and pitcher Armando Galarraga will train beginning March 1 in Lakeland with the Venezuelan team managed by Luis Sojo. Detroit hosts the Venezuelans in a March 3 exhibition game.

"It's going to be fun," said Guillen, adding that knee and back problems that limited him to 113 games last year have healed.

Close to being the closer
Leyland isn't ready to name Brandon Lyon his closer, but comes close.

"I don't know about that," he said, "but that's what we want him for."

He said Fernando Rodney remains in contention but must display the consistency he's lacked. Joel Zumaya is a future possibility.

"Zumaya will not be the closer to start with," Leyland said. "Somewhere down the line, he could fill that role. All I want right now is him healthy. When he's not been healthy for two years, you are not going to be the closer coming out of spring training."

The manager added that Lyon, Rodney and Zumaya are assured bullpen spots.

Family loss
Leyland said he will miss Monday's practice to attend the funeral of his nephew, P.J. Miller, in Perrysburg, Ohio.